Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course

The round at Monterey Pensinsula Country Club was optional.  It came hot on the heels of the round at Pebble Beach, and meant a 36 hole day.  Unsurprisingly not many took up the option.  It was one of the biggest pleasant surprises to play that I have experienced.

The par five 1st hole sets the scene for what is a brilliant golf experience.  The layout is superb, and the conditioning is second to none.

The view from the tee at the par four 2nd.  The Shore course was redesigned and completely re-routed by Mike Strantz in 2002, and reopened for play in 2005.

A great little downhill par three, the 3rd hole.

Looking down the fairway of the par four 4th hole.  A lot of the bunkers you see ahead are actually waste areas, and are not hazards.  In fact they double as cart paths!

Some new friends out for a stroll in the mid afternoon air.

The fourth green, looking across toward the ocean.  The course is now seen as the better of the two at the facility, and is part of the AT&T pro am trio of courses alongside SpyGlass Hill and Pebble Beach.

The approach to the green on the par five 6th.

The par three 7th.  This course will also be seen as Mike Strantz's final legacy.  The designer tragically passing away from cancer, not long after his vision here was created.

The long par three 9th.

The 10th hole is a strong par five, that works back into a great green complex.

This is the stunning par three 11th hole.  A beast from the championship tees at over 220 yards.

The par five 12th is a true three shotter.  A creek cuts through the fairway at driving distance, meaning a club shorter than driver is preferred, thus making the green unreachable in two.

Matt is extracting himself from an awkward position in the greenside bunker at the par four 13th.  One foot out of the bunker, this shot went to within a foot from the hole.  Pretty impressive.

The tee shot at the par four 15th.

The greenside bunker complex also at the 15th.

A hidden little creek that runs along the right side of the green at the par four 17th.

The tee shot at the par four 18th.  The Shore course was magnificent, and I am not sure how it is not seen in the top 100 lists.  I certainly believe it to be of higher quality than many of those I have played that are in those lists.